Your First Marketing Hire Should Help You Decide What to Say

Most new companies hire marketing to create activity: a website, social posts, campaigns, events, and leads.

But activity is not the first problem a new organization needs to solve.

The first problem is clarity.

Hiring a product marketing manager first is a smart way to go

The Importance of Clarity in Marketing

Before you invest in generating attention, you need to know whose attention you want. What problem do you solve for them? Why is your approach different? What evidence makes your claims believable? These are critical product marketing questions.

That is why product marketing should often be the first marketing function a new organization builds. It creates the foundation that makes every other marketing discipline more effective. It connects the product the company has built with the market the company hopes to win.

Key Questions Product Marketing Answers

A strong product marketer helps answer essential questions such as:

• Who is the ideal customer?

• What urgent problem are they trying to solve?

• How do they describe that problem in their own words?

• What alternatives are they considering?

• Why should they choose us?

• What should sales, marketing, product, and leadership all say consistently?

  
  

Without those answers, other marketing functions are forced to make assumptions.

Demand generation may produce leads from the wrong audience. Content marketing may publish useful material that does not support the buying decision. Brand marketing may create an attractive identity without establishing a meaningful position. Sales may tell a different story in every conversation.

The company can appear busy while making very little progress.

Reducing Risk with Product Marketing

Product marketing reduces that risk by establishing a shared market narrative before the organization scales its execution. This does not mean product marketing should operate alone or that other marketing disciplines are less important. It means sequencing matters.

Think of product marketing as the architectural work that happens before construction begins. Demand generation, content, brand, communications, and events can then build on a common blueprint.

Practical Outputs of Product Marketing

For an early-stage organization, the initial product marketing work does not need to be elaborate. It should produce a few practical outputs:

• A clearly defined ideal customer profile.

• A concise positioning statement.

• Three or four differentiated value messages.

• Evidence supporting each claim.

• A consistent narrative for the website, sales deck, and product demonstrations.

  
  

Once those decisions are made, the organization can confidently invest in campaigns and channels because it knows what it is trying to communicate.

The Impact on Growth

Starting with product marketing does not slow growth. Instead, it prevents a company from accelerating in the wrong direction.

Conclusion

In conclusion, clarity is key. By prioritizing product marketing, you set the stage for successful marketing efforts. This approach ensures that every campaign, every piece of content, and every sales conversation is aligned and effective.

Remember, the foundation you build today will support your growth tomorrow. So, invest in product marketing first, and watch your organization thrive.